Honour for Wolverhampton student stabbed in the leg as he battled murderer

Rizwan Bukhari, aged 24, was in the same house as Staffordshire University student Eni Mevish the night she was murdered by 69-year-old David Marshall.

Mr Bukhari battled with the killer and managed to throw him down stairs, knocking him temporarily unconscious.

Miss Mevish, 20, died less than an hour later having been stabbed 16 times in the legs, arms, heart, lungs and liver.

Mr Bukhari, of Whitmore Reans, was awarded a Gold Medal at the National Police and Public Bravery Awards in London last week, two years after the murder.

Speaking to the Express & Star, he said: "Whatever I did was the right step at the time. I did not know the man's full intentions as there were other people in the house.

"It was an instinct decision that I had to make in a second. To receive such an award for bravery is astonishing. I would like to thank Staffordshire Police for nominating me and my lecturers at the university who have been a great support."

Marshall, who was on licence for an indecent assault on a 14-year-old girl when he committed the murder, was jailed for life in April last year having admitted his crime.

The court at that time heard he had befriended his victim having met in April 2014 during one of her regular walks around the canal near her home in Shelton, Stoke. They struck up a close friendship to the point where Miss Mevish saw him as a father figure, often calling him 'dad'.

On the night of the murder the killer confronted Miss Mevish and attacked her in her home. Mr Bukhari heard her screaming and kicked on the door to get into the room. When he finally got in he took on Marshall despite seeing he was holding a kitchen knife and that Miss Mevish was covered in blood.

Mr Bukhari, who had been studying for the same degree qualification as Miss Mevish, added: "Would I do the same again if required? Yes I would."

Mr Bukhari completed a Masters degree in Policing and Criminal Investigation and hopes to join Staffordshire Police.